The Dancing Wind
by CMayleenJ
Summary: Korra has finally arrived by in Republic City after some self-searching at Amon stole her bending, only this time she brought three new friends from her adventure who no doubt still have many things to teach her. Mai, a mysterious Airbender, a beginner herself, and her two Earthbending brothers, Hiroki and Taru, whom pose competition to a newly realized Mako.


_Hey guys, I found this on my hard drive today. I thought it was an interesting draft of a story I was trying out. I think it had potential to be expanded and continued. What do you think? Should I? Do you like it? :) -Cassidy_

_A Small Surprise_

Mako hurried up the stairs urgently, panting loudly as fatigue took over, but he was determined to get to the top, desperate. In the distance he could hear Korra's voice, although incoherent, but her yells excited his heart. He felt his skin crawl thinking about her. He had to get to her! He had to know she was okay!

There was barely any air in this lungs but he continued up the steep climb, almost collapsing onto the last step, but pushed himself up to face the two distant figures moving under the shade of the gazebo gracefully. Both of them were slender brunettes, mirroring each other's movements, with careful steps and smooth arm transitions. Suddenly, one of them leapt up, pivoting her body to land a single foot, immediately bringing her other foot to join beside it, standing on her toes, in perfect balance. Her partner tried to mimic it but ended up slipping, landing hard with a loud thud on her thigh.

"Korra," the girl in green exclaimed, kneeling down to aid the fallen girl. "Are you all right?" The girl nodded, shaking some hair loose from her bun. "You didn't plan your footing, that's why you fell, but that's okay, that's an easy fix."

Korra pushed herself off the ground and smoothed out her blue skirt, ready to fix her mistakes. Mako pushed himself off the ground, too, and rushed to her, surprising her. She spun around to face him with wide crystal blue eyes. "Mako," she realized out loud, gaping. He, too, was stunned, but not just by her presence but her appearance.

She was dressed unusually in a glossy blue dress that was cut short above her knees but her legs were covered by black fabric, with small brown flats molded onto her feet. Her hair what was really caught him off guard. She must've taken it out of the messy bun to fix it but she hadn't gotten far, as it lay limp and thick over her shoulders.

"Mako," she repeated roughly, snapping him out of his trance. "What are you doing here?" Mako jolted back, surprised by her animosity. Her icy glare softened when he began to stutter an incoherent response. Even a smile started to pull at her lips. "Don't get all riled up, Mako," Korra teased, punching his shoulder lightly before engulfing him in a hug. "I missed you. Where's Bolin?"

Mako was momentarily gazed by her hair. It smelled…like flowers, lilies exactly. It was almost intoxicating. He was snapped out of his daze by a cough and his amber eyes were caught in the glare of a pair of dark brown ones.

"I missed you, too, Korra. Where have you been? I've been worried sick! It's driven me crazy!" He mumbled into her dark locked. "Uh…Korra, who's your friend?"

Korra dispatched from his arms and motioned to the other brunette in green. "Mako, this is my friend Mai. Mai, meet my friend Mako." Mai grinned at Korra as if they shared a joke and returned her suspicious gaze at Mako before taking his hand to shake it.

He noticed she was much different than any girl he'd seen before. She was wearing a short but high neck lined green dress that flowed above her knees, creating the graceful movements he had seen from afar. Her hair was pulled back into a long ponytail that swished against her back.

"Hello Mako," she spoke politely but firmly. She let go of his hand quickly and crossed her pale arms over her chest, facing Korra. "Korra, we should continue our training. You and Mako can talk later. We have to get this routine down."

"Wait," Mako interrupted, surprised by Mai's rudeness. "It's been two months since I've seen her! Two months since she's disappeared! I think she owes me some answers!"

"So," Mai challenged with narrowed eyes. "Two months doesn't accomplish much and she needs to focus on her bending."

"Bending?" Mako questioned, outraged. He looked at Korra who looked in between the two, stunned by the hostility the two strangers posed at each other. "Korra, I thought Katara couldn't restore your bending back…"

Korra nodded solemnly. "She couldn't…she didn't…" She held back something and that something irked Mako to no end, knowing something was being withheld from him. He stood tall and firmly over Korra, demanding more explanations from her. Mai pulled Korra back closer to her, defending her from the overwhelming reunion.

"As I said, she has training to do," Mai affirmed, glaring at Mako. "You can come back later and talk during dinner but right now, Korra has to continue her rhythm. Thanks for stopping by," she shot back at him sarcastically, startling him. Who knew a small girl could push him back using simply words? Her volume must've alerted somebody inside the temple, as a body came rushing out.

"What's wrong, Mai?" he called out, stepping beside the younger girl.

"Nothing, Taro," Korra dismissed it all, waving her hands furiously. "Mai is just being…Mai…its nothing." Taro raised a brow at Mako and then down at Mai, confused by what Korra meant. "Can you excuse us, please?" Korra begged, grabbing Mako's elbow and pulling him to the side, far from Mai who was fuming. Mako grinned at the silent victory, tempted to give her a wink but the man next to him was serving as a barrier between the two. "Mako…" Korra started slowly. "I'm sorry about Mai…she's…yeah, I'm sorry about that. I know that you want answers and I wish I could give them to you, and I will, I promise. Right now isn't a good time but please, come back later, and I'll tell you everything you want to know!"

Mako nodded and smiled. Usually he'd be furious, angry at the deception but Korra's eyes watered down his angry and sent him to a calmer place. He engulfed her into a hug. "It's good to have you back. Please, don't go anywhere again too soon. I'll come back later with Bolin. He'll be ecstatic to see you."

"That's great," Korra mumbled into the fabric of his shoulder. He reluctantly let her go and walked away slowly, sending her many glances back, as did she, as she went the opposite direction. He waved one final time before she disappeared from his sight. He sighed, dismayed. At least he knew she was safe…and she looked…livelier. That's the word, he realized with a grin. She looked glowing, happy. There was a glint in her eyes and certain lightness in her voice. Whatever happened between the South Pole and now really uplifted her to a good place and he couldn't wait to hear all about it.

Mai greeted Korra with a victorious grin. "So that was infamous Mako," she announced, alarming Taro whose green eyes widened. He stared incredulously at Korra.

"That was Mako? Why didn't you tell me? I would've given him a piece of my…" He trailed off, receiving a hard nudge from Mai. "Okay, got it, got it…"

"Well, you were right about one thing, he is kind of cute," Mai furrowed her neat brown brows together, "but the way he demands attention kind of irks me. Oh well," she dismissed, shrugging. "Shall we continue or do you want to skip to Earthbending with my brother?"

Taro demonstrated by lifting a piece of rock from behind him with a lift of his palm. Korra nodded, stomping the ground to pick up her own piece of earth. "I guess I'll take my leave," Mai sighed playfully. "I'll be watching you two," she added, poking her tongue out at the pair. Taro laughed and looked down at Korra, grinning, before stomping the ground, lifting the ground from under Mai's feet. She was flown into the air, squealing.

Korra burst out laughing, clutching her sides at Mai's frantic expression. The girl extended her arms forward as she was flung forward, preparing to break her fall. Suddenly, air formed from underneath her, stopping her from making contact with the ground, until it dissipated from under her, setting her down softly onto the grass.

"Nice try, Taro," Mai shrugged it off, smoothing down her dress. "You won't get me, trust me. You had 18 years to try." She flipped her hair and hurried to the door, closing it behind her.

"Spirits," Taro mumbled under his breath. "As much as I love my little sister, I have to admit…"

"She can be bit of a pain?"

"More of a 'Blow-it-all-in-your-face' kinda pain," Taro modified. Korra stifled her laughter at the pun.

"You never really told me how you knew she was an Airbender," Korra wondered as they crumbled the levitated rocks.

"I don't really remember when I first realized she was different. All I remember is dad bringing her home in a bundle of pink, telling me I had a new sister. I was so confused. I didn't remember mom being big at all, so I kept asking her when she had a baby. Mom would laugh," Taro recalled solemnly, saddened by the reminder of his mother. "She explained to me Mai was adopted, that she was her daughter and my little sister but not really…When she was six, it was then she started doing…things…that I overlooked then but now, looking back, I can't believe I didn't tie it together. She would always trip me even if she wasn't anywhere near me," Taro smiled. "She was also a heck lot faster than Hiroki and I. We thought it was just because of her size and body type." Taro shook his head. "It was then Dad started to ship us around the world."

"He was still paranoid about the Fire nation," Korra finished for Taro.

Taro nodded. "He knew she was special and that she would be taken away from us, to the Air Temple to train, and he loved her too much to let her go."

"Going on the run," Korra joked, quoting Mai's words from their first meeting. Taro chuckled.

"Dad referred to it as 'backpacking,' to learn to live off the land, to become survivalist."

Korra knew since the start Taro adored his little sister –he was also very protective of the slim girl the day Korra almost lit her up when she surprised her. The moment Taro was willing –and almost successfully –knocked her out cold to protect Mai, he earned Korra's whole respect.

Taro was a powerful bender, one Korra was happy to take up as a teacher when she was slowly regaining her strength after Aang's visit. Sure, her bending was restored, but she needed to be sure she had control of it before anything else. So far progress was great –except for Air –as Mai proved to be just as new to Airbending as Korra was –thus why Mai accompanied her back to the island to meet Tenzin.

Mai had a new approach to her bending though, a suggestion she highly advised Korra to take up. "_Airbending is about movement, smooth, spiritual, graceful, and carelessly, yet focused, meaning you have to feel natural doing it. I learned through dancing…once you get the footing down, the rhythm comes naturally to you, and so will the direction of the wind. Baby steps, Korra, baby steps_."

Korra wasn't much for prancing around but Mai made it look elegant, as she was a passionate dancer, inspired by the traveling shows she would come across. She would spin around, leap in the air, and hold her whole body weight on just a few toes. Korra was awed by Mai's grace and poise and tried to mimic it on plenty of occasions but found it futile, as she wasn't as graceful. She depended on physical prowess, the opposite of what Mai was. She was determined to try though.

_Chapter 2 Break_

Mai watched Korra from a distance, crossing her legs, smiling widely as Korra and Taro laughed obnoxiously. She was glad Taro could be happy again. The deaths of their parents really hit him hard and it's been a while he could feel free to relax and let loose. For that, she was grateful for Korra. She had a lot to owe to the Avatar and thanked the Spirits the two accidently met.

Taro was swept off his feet again as he tried to dodge a piece of flying rock, only to have the ground from under him lift, sending him backwards onto the ground with a loud thud. Mai cringed at the sound but didn't bother to intervene because she knew Taro could handle the blow. He was resilient. Almost every Earthbender she knew was resilient. As if to prove her point, he jumped to his feet, ready to deliver retaliation.

"Mai," someone spoke from behind her. She looked up to meet Tenzin's aged eyes and she bowed her head down respectively. "Do you mind if I sit?" She nodded and slid away from the steps to allow him room. "It's amazing," Tenzin began, "that Korra is able to bend again. She told me that my father restored her bending through Avatar State."

Mai nodded. "Among other things," she mumbled to herself but turned her attention from her brother and friend to Tenzin, speaking louder. "I was there, that's how we met. I came across her, levitating in the air on a spout of air and I was amazed. Then a blast of fire almost hit me, so I learned to keep my distance," Mai chuckled, "but when she snapped out of it, she almost passed out of the ground so I called my brother Hiroki over to bring over to camp so she would be warm."

"And for that," Tenzin replied, "I can't thank you enough. I understood she wanted to be alone but I didn't think it was a good idea. I had to leave though, so I worried about her immensely. When she came back, she told me about you three and how great company you were. She really needed that support."

"I could really connect to her," Mai admitted. "She and I shared a lot in common and I couldn't help but want to help her." Mai shrugged.

"So," Tenzin began, "Korra told me you had something to show me."

Mai blushed and looked to the ground, not sure if it was the right time. "Okay…" She started slowly. She stood up, taking a deep breath, and prepared careful steps, before slicing the air with sharp swipe of her hand. A huge gust of wind assaulted the trees, rattling them violently. She balled her hands together, spinning around, until a small ball of wind pushed her hands apart. Tenzin watched astounded by the ball of wind she was clasping until she unleashed it upon the same tree, splitting it in two.

"Oh no," she apologized immediately. "I am so sorry. I didn't think that'd it….I'm so sorry, Master Tenzin. I didn't think it'd be that strong!"

"There is nothing to apologize for Mai," Tenzin dismissed, standing up and grabbing her shoulders. "How on Earth can you do that?"

Mai gulped. "I don't know much about my origins, so I can't give you everything. I can tell you this, a theory that my mother passed onto me before she passed away. She said when dad and she picked me up from the orphanage the director told them that a young woman had dropped me off in tears. That's probably my birth mother…As they came to realize my abilities she assumed that somehow I descended from one of the temples, probably the Western Air Temple. They believed that a line of Airbenders had survived, that perhaps one of the female monks strayed or something like that, and my grandmother was born somewhere else before the Air Nomad Genocide. Then my grandmother probably suppressed her abilities to hide from the Fire nation during Hundred Year War. She married and had children, one of them being my mother, who had the same abilities as she did, as I do. But…I can't say for certain, I don't know anything about my descendants except for the family I have now."

"This is incredible," Tenzin exclaimed, smiling widely. "How come I haven't heard of you before?"

"My dad didn't want anyone else to know. He was scared that we would be separated. The probability that I would be if my abilities came to public knowledge was tremendous. He wanted our family to stick together. That's why as soon as I started to blow things across the yard, he knew it was time to start moving around or else the neighbors would get suspicious. Instead of hindering my abilities, he embraced them, understanding their ancient art, but at the expense of never being able to settle down. As a family we began to travel from place to place, embrace different cultures and people, and we've grown to enjoy it but that's beside the point. The reason you never heard of me is because no one has really gotten to know me from outside my family, until now," Mai said, nodding towards Korra. "She said I could trust you, and I was hoping that you could teach me more. Despite my age, I haven't achieved that much, only the few tricks I taught myself…"

"I would gladly take you as a student!" Tenzin gathered her into a tight hug, grateful for the surprising blessing. She was reminded of Katara, the water healer Korra had brought her to for advice when they started to head back to the Air temple.

_Option 2_

Mako, Bolin, and Asami waited anxiously in the dining area, glancing at each other with frantic eyes. The doors slid open, grabbing their attention, and four figures stepped out into the brightly lit room. First were Mai and Korra, dressed much different than they had that morning. Korra had changed into a darker blue dress with a halter top, leaving her mocha brown shoulders smooth and bare. A white sash was tied around her waist, giving her a feminine physique that Mako hadn't embraced before. Her legs were covered with the same black fabric as before but this time, she wore her familiar boots with them. He was taken to her hair, curled elaborately and tossed over her shoulder. She looked like a stranger to him except for her cerulean eyes, deep and blue as ever.

Bolin was the first to speak. "Korra," he exclaimed, getting up from his seat to embrace his best friend. "I've missed you so much!" He spun her around, making her squeal with laughter. "Where have you been? Do you know how crazy I've been without you? It's so good to have you back!"

Mai watched from the sidelines with a glowing smile, catching Bolin's attention. He started to grin like a fool in love as he took in Mai's appearance. A slim green skirt of the dress she was wearing only went to her knees, leaving lower legs bear and pale, an unusual sight for Bolin. Brown flats adorned her delicate feet, and a brown parka with brown fur lining the shoulder flaps encasing her torso, tied together with a brown belt of the same shade. Her dark hair was curled back into an elegant bun, with an emerald embodied headband holding her banes back, exposing her porcelain face and graceful beauty.

"Hi…" Bolin trailed on, speechless. Mai suppressed a chuckle. The two men behind her shot the fool a dirty look but he was too taken by her beautiful face to notice it. "I'm…uh…Bolin. Who are you?"

"I'm Mai Ling Shao but please feel to call me Mai. These are my brothers, Taro and Hiroki." She motioned to the towering men behind her. Hiroki had the face of the youngest with dimples. His curly black locks falling over his brows. Taro was more refined, with slicked back hair of the same shade, with brooding green eyes glaring down at Bolin. "Nice to meet you Bolin," Mai began, stepping forward and bowing down curtly. "I've heard many good things about you from Korra." She smiled at him and he felt his heart stop.

"How'd you meet Korra?" Asami wondered, awed by Mai's grace. She wouldn't be surprised if she was born into nobility with her posture and attire.

"She and I crossed paths at the Southern Air Temple. She and I became instant friends," Mai answered.

"Where are you from?" Asami rebounded again.

Mai shrugged. "We haven't lived in a place for a long enough time to really settle, so I guess I can say we're from all over. My family and I traveled since I was little."


End file.
